"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
How Battery Storage can help Black Starts
11/27/18
“How can battery storage help with black starts?”
In order to recover from power outages, black starts are a necessary firsts step. This can be helped with battery storage since their geographically distributed nature will make them more resilient. This is How Battery Storage can help Black Starts.
Why the Increasing Frequency of Fires Will Threat Energy Resilience
11/26/18
“How will the increased frequency of fires make us less energy resilient?”
The climate is changing. As temperatures get higher, the natural world is being thrown out of balance, and this includes dangerous fires such the one seen in Northern California. As these fires become more frequent, they will threaten power lines and energy generation sources. As a result, The Increasing Frequency of Fires Will Threat Energy Resilience.
Steam Accumulators
11/25/18
“How can we store energy using steam?”
With the advent of the new energy paradigm, energy storage will play a bigger and bigger factor. Although batteries are promising, they are not an all-encompassing technology and will need support from other systems.
One simple method for storing energy involves steam. What if we were to have a container half filled with cold water and connected to a boiler. Steam can be blown if from the boiler into the container, which condenses and warms the water. When the water is about ¾ of the height, it will be considered stable. A valve can then be opened to release energy by driving the steam through a turbine and boiling the water from the resulting pressure drop. This system is known as a Steam Accumulator and is being constructed in conjunction with many solar thermal plants.
Why Wind Energy has Difficulty with Black Starts
11/24/18
“Why does wind energy have difficulty with getting up after a blackout?”
When energy systems suffer from a blackout, black starts are used to make them come online again. However, wind energy has difficulty with black starts this since a gust may not be blowing at the necessary start times.
Lab-Grown Meat
11/23/18
“Can we make meat without killing animals?”
For all of biological history, eating meat involved taking an organism’s life. But this may change drastically with the advent of Lab-Grown Meat. Lab-grown meat is made by taking a cell from an animal, placing it in a Petri dish, and letting the cells grow and multiply. Although the process of obtaining the cells may involve slaughter, much more meat can be produced from a single animal! Lab-grown mate is exponentially decreasing in cost and may soon serve as an environmentally friendly alternative to old-fashioned meat.
How Lab-Grown Meat Can Fight Climate Change
11/22/18
“How can lab-grown meat be good for the environment?”
This Thanksgiving, American families all around the world are spending time with their dear friends and families and give thanks to all of the good things that have come. And a core part of this celebration (usually) involves cooking a Turkey. However, all of this meat consumption drives up carbon emissions immensely. But is there a way where can circumvent this without having to give up meat?
Well, this can actually happen with the proliferation of Lab-Grown Meat. Since this artificial meat did not require an animal to be raised for production, it is able to avert countless tons of emissions associated with production. As a result, Lab-Grown Meat Can Fight Climate Change. So in the near future, you might be able to have your meat and eat it too!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
How if Restaurants Used Less Ice it Would be Good for Climate Neutrality
11/21/18
“Why should restaurants use less ice?”
In the United States, it is customary for restaurants to serve ice with water. Although it may seem benign, having to store extra ice uses energy and water which contribute to climate change. Therefore, if Restaurants Used Less Ice it Would be Good for Climate Neutrality.
Black Start
11/20/18
“How can we recover an electric grid from a blackout?”
Blackouts can cause enormous devastation to communities. Although recovery can be a long process, If generators are used to create power for a portion of the system. This is known as a Black Start and is one of the many ways to increase grid resilience.
How Load Shedding Helps Fight Climate Change
11/19/18
“How can load shedding be beneficial for the planet?”
When power grids receive a demand overload, they often go into load-shedding to prevent a blackout. Not only does the reduced load prevent a blackout but also emit less carbon dioxide! Without having to worry about an infrastructure recovery or extra emissions, the grid’s impact on climate change will be reduced.
